Six-Figure Phone Numbers In City By 1964

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 15

Six-Figure Phone Numbers In City By 1964

By about September, 1964, most telephone subscribers in Christchurch will have new six-figure numbers —a reflection of present Post Office plans for the extension of telephone services in the city. The full capacity of the present fivefigure numbering system has now been reached, and to expand services it is necessary to change over to the six-figure system, which should cater for expansion many years ahead.

Work on the new Linwood and Hiltaiorton telephone exchanges, as part of the general scheme of telephoneservice expansion, has already started, according to the Regional! Engineer of the Post Office (Mr L. D. Bewley). The two projects involve a total expenditure of £730.000, and the haying of 57 miles of cable. “These two exchanges will provide major relief to the Christchurch telephone exchange system, and enable the old rotary switching equipment in the central exchange to be dismantled," he said. “This will open the way for future expansion of the swiltohiing system, and the introduction of the six-figure number system." Some telephone subscribers —in the Fendalton, Papanui, and Shirley districts—already have six-figure numbers. These are subscribers who are connected to an

‘ attended-in" manual switchboard. which has been resorted to by the Port Office to give telephone service to people who otherwise would have had to wait. This system will soon be extended to give service to people waiting in the Raccarton, New Brighton, and Beckenham districts. People who want to telephone a subscriber who has an existing six-figure number must first dial 896, which connects the “in" call to a ma mu ally-operated switchboard. where the attendant operator relays the call on to the subscriber's six-figure number—hence the expression “aittended-in" switchboard. Riccarton people waiting for telephone service can ex-

pect to be linked to an '..Weeded-in” swMchboerd in December, those in New Brighton next July, and theme in Beckenham next September. New Exchanges Giving news erf the new Linwood and HMknorton exchanges. Mt Bewley send that the Linwood exchange project would involve the laying of 52,000 ft of heavy cable in ducts, and 140,000 ft of cable direct into the ground— tn aU, about 37 mites of cabling. Being such a big job. it would be split into three seperrte contracts for both cablnrg and ducting. Tenders tor the first contract have already been csWeri. he said The Linwood exchange will be in Hereford street eart and wril serve Linwood. North Linwood, Avonside. the south part of Richmond up to North Avon road, and part of Woolrton to the west of Cumnor terrace. The western boundary of the new exchange area wvM stop jurt short of Fitzgerald avenue. The first of the cable-laying and duct-laying omtrsets will cover the area wert of the exchange site from Olliviens road to Stanmore road. The new Hiiamorton exchange would be built in Lincoln road, adjacent to the Sunnyside Hospital. Mr Bewley said. Jt would serve the Addington, Spreydon Hoon Hav. and HiHmorton areas This project, said Mr Bewley. would involve the laying of 22.000 ft of cable in ducts, and 85,000 ft direct into the ground—a total of about 21 miles of cabling In addition. IA.OOOfIt of new ducting would have to be constructed. Work on the cable-laying has already started. Provision of the two exchange buildings i« under the control of the Ministry of Works. It is thought that tenders for their construction will be called shortly '